I have to have my house fumigated for termites and I’ve had different people tell me different things I have to remove. Do you have to remove shampoo bottles and face creams and things of that sort when a house is tented?

– Mary Jane Jefferson

Redondo Beach

First and foremost, advises the Los Angeles County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office, all living things must be removed from the home. That includes pets, fish, fish tanks and plants.

Beyond that, exterminators will advise you what should be removed or sealed in bags when your home is tented for fumigation. Bags typically are provided by the fumigator.

Generally speaking, all things that are ingested, absorbed or injected into the body must be removed from the property or bagged, according to the Web sites of several termite fumigators. This includes all food items, medicine, vitamins, herbs, creams and lotions. (Canned goods, bottles, and jars that have never been opened are the exception and do not have to be removed or bagged.)

One fumigator’s Web site specifically says that shampoo, soaps and unopened toothpaste and mouthwash do not have to be removed or bagged.

But again, it’s best to check to see what your contractor advises. The rule of thumb is “when in doubt, take it out.”

Many people having their homes tented also ask whether dishes and clothes need to be washed once the fumigation is complete. The answer is no, because the Vikane gas used by most fumigators does not stick to any surface.

But as one contractor stated, many people prefer to wash their dishes anyway “for peace of mind.”

– Staff reports

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